Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used in the diagnosis of various conditions giving rise to leg oedema, with special attention to the oedema after femoro-distal vascular reconstruction for obliterative atherosclerosis (n = 14). Patients with deep venous thrombosis (n = 6), chronic lymphoedema (n = 6) and closed muscular compartment syndrome (n = 2) were also investigated. Leg volume increase was measured according to the formula of a truncated cone. Interstitial fluid hydrostatic pressure (Pif) was recorded with the wick-in-needle technique. Spin echo series with 10 mm transverse slices were obtained with MRI. Following vascular reconstructions, leg volume increased 26% on the operated side. In the operated leg, no gradient in Pif was found between the posterior muscular compartment and the subcutaneous tissue. However, there was a significantly higher Pif in the subcutaneous tissue compared to the anterior muscular compartment (p less than 0.05). In the operated group, MRI revealed oedema around the entire circumference of the leg, mainly restricted to the subcutaneous tissue. In contrast, oedema of the leg muscles, particularly in the posterior compartments, was typical for patients having deep venous thrombosis. The group with chronic lymphoedema showed circumferential subcutaneous oedema alone or in combination with a fibrotic honeycomb pattern. Oedema of the affected muscular compartment was easily observed in patients who had a closed compartment syndrome. In conclusion, the use of MRI is promising in the investigation of conditions giving rise to leg oedema. It is likely that the formation of post-reconstructive oedema is taking place in the subcutaneous tissue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)